Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Before we start, I welcome Eoghan Clonan and Arjun Santos to the House. It is lovely to see them.

It is great to have the Minister of State here. He has ten minutes for his opening statement.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is a pleasure to be back in the Seanad again. This is my second opportunity since being elected to the other House. I recall my time here with fondness.

I join the Acting Chairperson in welcoming Eoghan Clonan, someone I have come to know over many years visiting this House with his dad. It is fantastic to see him with us today.

I thank the Senators for seeking this opportunity for statements on fishing. I am pleased to discuss the important issues and concerns affecting the fishing sector. I reassure the Seanad that as Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries and the marine, I recognise the importance of maintaining a vibrant fishing sector, both for the communities that rely on them and the wider economy. The programme for Government, Securing Ireland’s Future, reflects this approach by committing to securing a sustainable future for the fisheries sector while supporting coastal communities that rely on this activity for their livelihood. My appointment as a dedicated Minister of State with responsibility across fisheries and the marine to co-ordinate and integrate these key policy areas, clearly demonstrates the commitment of Government to the sector.

Our seas are a national asset that provide a wide range of commercial and societal benefits, through activities such as commercial fishing and aquaculture, but also through their contribution to transport, tourism, recreation, renewable energy and cultural heritage. They also play a vital role in supporting marine life and biodiversity for a healthy planet. At a recent ocean conference, I believe it was either President Macron or John Kerry, the former United States Secretary of State, who said that if the Amazon Basin is the lungs of the Earth, our seas and rivers are the veins and arteries that support that life.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s Business of Seafood Report 2024 offers a comprehensive assessment of the economic impact of the seafood sector. It reported that the Irish seafood industry is valued at €1.24 billion, an increase of 4% on 2023. The sector employs almost 8,000 people directly across fishing, aquaculture and processing, and a total of almost 17,000 people when indirect employment is included. Fish landings in Ireland were valued at over €461 million in 2024, with €325 million coming from Irish vessels and €136 million from non-Irish vessels.

The report shows a value growth of 25% in the aquaculture sector, which is also encouraging. Based on the observations I have had since joining the Department, there is potential to grow the sector in the years ahead. It will take considerable effort and will require reform of the existing licensing system to achieve that. We will work on that as the years go by.

These metrics clearly demonstrate the resilience of the sector, despite significant challenges in recent years, and its capacity to pivot and adjust to a changing environment. This progress would not be possible without strategic and well-targeted investment, both public and private. Targeted supports, funded through the Brexit adjustment reserve, BAR, were aimed at helping the sector to navigate the unprecedented challenge of Brexit. Senators with an interest in fishing know well the highly negative impact Brexit had on many sectors, but particularly the fishing sector. The very significant loss of quota to the Irish fleet in particular as a trade for continued access to British waters has been challenging for the sector. While the BAR was a help, it did not mitigate all the impact there. I am very cognisant of that when I talk with people affected by that event.

Total Government spend across the seafood sector, over the five-year period from 2020 to 2024, was in excess of €800 million. This included investment of almost €160 million in State-owned public marine infrastructure. This funded a comprehensive range of supports to mitigate the impact of Brexit and enable the sector to adjust to operating post Brexit. Many of these supports were the result of the recommendations of the seafood task force, to which industry representatives made a valuable contribution.

More generally, funding for supports for the commercial seafood sector are provided under the seafood development programme. These are designed to strengthen competitiveness, sustainability and employment. The programme is cofunded by the Government and the EU Commission under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2021-2027, better known as EMFAF. Schemes for industry under the SDP are primarily implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara and Bord Bia. Bord Bia assists seafood processors to attend international trade shows and market study visits, and to carry out consumer and market research. Other supports like marketing, innovation, new product development etc. are accessed by processors.

Many Senators are aware that I have placed a heavy emphasis on personal engagement with the seafood sector since I took on this role in February. So far, I have visited three of the State’s fishery harbour centres, Killybegs, Castletownbere and Ros an Mhíl, more than once. I have engaged directly with stakeholders across the board from the catching, aquaculture and processing sectors. I am due to visit Howth and Dunmore East this month and I intend to get to Dingle to coincide with the regatta in August.

I have met with seafood representative groups, all recognised producer organisations, the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, NIFF, the fish co-operatives, processors and aquaculturalists on several occasions. I was also delighted to attend the Skipper Expo in March to meet the wider community. I have supported the processors at the Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona with BIM and am open to supporting them whenever I can and wherever the need arises.

During European Maritime Day in May, I had the pleasure of visiting Castletownbere with the European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, where together we invited all the seafood representatives to join us for a joint meeting. The occasion also provided me with an opportunity to present the concerns of the sector in Ireland to the Commissioner. Having had the opportunity to meet him on a number of subsequent occasions, I believe that his visit to Castletownbere was impactful and that he has listened to the message from Irish fishermen and women.I am thankful for the co-operative way in which the sector engaged with the Commissioner on that occasion. Often, it is difficult because many of the people who are directly involved are impacted so negatively and an opportunity to meet a Commissioner has the potential to boil over. On that occasion, it was structured, direct, informative and helpful. I thank the industry for the professional way in which they engaged with the Commissioner.

The programme for Government commits to publish a five-year fisheries sector strategy that will include an examination of the processing sector and to continue to support and promote improvements in fisheries and aquaculture. I am conscious that the processing sector is suffering and hurting because, as quotas reduce, even though values of fish stocks may increase on the marketplace, the processors at the end of the day are only taking a margin. A reduced volume of fish or quota has a real negative impact. That is something we have to look at. I will be talking to my colleagues in other Departments about how we might address that. To progress this, I have decided to engage a facilitator, Mr. Kieran Mulvey, to work with the seafood representative group to identify and articulate issues, priorities and opportunities for the sector. These will be considered when I am setting out the terms of reference of that fisheries sector strategy which was identified and promised in the programme for Government.

I have a couple of topical issues that I should update the House on today. Senators are familiar with the extension of the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement, TCA. As Members are aware, the adjustment period set out in the original TCA was to run from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2026. During this time, the TCA provided that EU and UK fishing vessels would have reciprocal access to each other’s waters. After 30 June 2026, the TCA provided that access would be granted at a level and on conditions determined in the annual consultations. We have always known from the fishing sector that it was going to be extraordinarily difficult to try to deal with issues like this in isolation. Our sense was, based on information which was coming from back channels, that the British were not prepared to continue to provide the same reciprocal access without the trade of more quota. We made it clear at the time that was something we would not countenance. We were still not sure how we might be able to negotiate or navigate that because we had nothing and no chips to play. Ireland’s perspective was, given the number of fish stocks shared between the EU and UK, which is more than 80 stocks, it would not be feasible to negotiate and agree on access to waters and quotas on an annual basis, even though that was set out in the original TCA. This kind of arm wrestle on access to EU waters every year simply would not provide our fishermen and women with the certainty they need to sustain their businesses. Against that backdrop, it was essential for Ireland to obtain the longest possible extension of access arrangements for UK waters, and to avoid the prospect of any further transfers in quota from the EU to the UK in exchange for these accesses. I have a couple of more points if the Acting Chairperson can give me more time.

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State has concluding remarks left.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I do. I wish to finish this piece on the EU-UK agreement. It was critically important for Ireland as we suffered disproportionately on quota transfers in the TCA and we were determined not to lose one more fish. There are people in the sector who would have liked to have had a reversal of the quota, but that was not possible. The agreement reached sees an extension of 12 years of the status quo to June 2038. This is significantly longer than the four years sought by the UK, and most importantly, does not involve the transfer of additional quota. From our perspective, we came out with the best deal possible, notwithstanding not being able to win back any quota. It gives certainty to the fishing sector and to the fleet for a period of time now with how they might manage investment.

I will discuss later in my concluding remarks about issues that arise. I will use every effort with the support of the Department in trying to fight for and attain any possible quota that might ultimately emerge either through changes in the CFP or any evidence or science-based information that can be provided in relation to the migration of stocks into our waters. We did not have a track record where there is still an allowable catch but where we do not have quota. Fish have now migrated as a result of the changing sea conditions due to climate change. Those are the kinds of things we can progress. I know there are people who would like to row back on decisions that were taken in the eighties. Unfortunately, I would be misleading this House if I gave the impression that I could do that. I will work with the sector and like-minded member states where we have alliances and where we are building more alliances to try to gain additional quotas, even in species where we may not have had historic fisheries. I thank the Chair for her forbearance.

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Before we move on to the group spokespersons, I welcome the Clonakilty women's shed, who are guests with the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan. They are most welcome to the House. I hope they enjoy their day. We will now move on to the group spokespersons and start with Fianna Fáil's Senator Blaney.

Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to be associated with the welcome to the Clonakilty women's shed group and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, in his new role. It is clear that he is hitting the ground running. I welcome his officials. I will address what the Minister of State finished on relating to the new fisheries EU-UK agreement and that 12-year extension. Fianna Fáil welcomes that agreement. The party also welcomes these statements on this important sector. Ireland's waters are one of the most valuable natural resources. We have a coastline of 7,500 km, making it one of the longest in the European Union. It is something that the EU needs to be reminded of now and again. Fianna Fáil deeply values the role of fisheries in our economy and in the communities which rely on this activity for their livelihood. That is why, since re-entering Government in 2020, through the Minister of State and the previous Minister, Deputy McConalogue, we have invested more than €180 million in the seafood sector and €50 million in local piers and harbours. Those moneys have been very well spent. I can vouch for the moneys that were spent in County Donegal. Rathmullan was recently opened. That pier needed works for many years and even decades, and it was similarly with the one beside me in Portsalon. Those moneys were very welcome and useful.

During the previous Government term, Fianna Fáil advocated successfully for a full re-evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy. In this term, it is important we continue to stand up for fisheries in quota negotiations to return the maximum yield while maintaining stock levels according to the latest scientific evidence. It is important to keep in the back of our minds the difficulties faced by the inshore fishermen and their quota levels. Importantly, as promised in Fianna Fáil's 2024 general election manifesto, we have re-established the role of the Minister of State for fisheries and the marine. We know the Minister of State is working to support our fisheries and aquaculture sectors and to balance the need for economic development with environmental protection to bring about a sustainable and prosperous future for all our coastal communities.

As the Minister of State rightly said, Brexit has been a difficult time for our fishermen. A lot of progress has been made. The Minister of State has allocated €4.33 million for 57 local authority projects across 11 coastal local authorities. He allocated €27.75 million for capital projects in the State-owned fishery harbour centres at Killybegs, Ros an Mhíl, An Daingean, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth. The Minister of State launched the €15 million fisheries local action groups coastal communities development scheme 2025–2029, to support coastal areas' economic development. He also opened the small craft harbour building at Ros an Mhíl. This is all very welcome, but it is clear there is a lot more to do. As far as the programme for Government commitments are concerned, we were successful in getting a Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries. We committed to the publishing of a five-year fisheries sector strategy that will include an examination of the processing sector. We also committed to continue to support and promote investments in fisheries and aquaculture and examine incentives for fishers to land their catch in Irish ports, with a view to supporting the domestic processing sector. Again, we keep in mind the inshore fishers.

A fight is needed at EU level for Common Fisheries Policy reforms to ensure fairer quotas for Irish fishers and due recognition to be given to the proportion of fish species caught in Irish waters. We need to promote the sustainability of fish stocks while ensuring sufficient supply of species to allow fishers into the future to derive a fair return. We need to liaise with fishing stakeholders - I know the Minister of State has started off well in doing this - and request that Revenue examine the current tax allowances for the sector and bring forward recommendations on how the taxation system can further support its progression. We need to explore fleet adjustment measures and consider any changes, given the ever-evolving scientific advice on fish stocks, and support the seafood and offshore renewable energy working group in providing an important bridge to facilitate discussion on issues arising from the interaction of these sectors, and encourage open dialogue between stakeholders. That is a part of the brief that was not big on the agenda for a Minister in the past.

It is really important that all of this island now gets the opportunities to explore and develop our offshore wind potential, particularly as regards the north west. I am informed that off the north-west coast is deemed the second most powerful potential site in the world. It is really important, as regards the ESB and the potential to carry any new power coming in from those sites, that plans are in place to ensure we have sufficient capacity in the network to carry that power. I know that is outside the Minister of State's brief, but his work in that regard would be a waste of time if those plans were not now put in place. We need to defend Irish fishing interests ahead of the 2026 review of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and in discussions on third countries, work at EU level to increase supports to the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, and ensure the promotion of marine education courses and degree programmes with a view to increasing enrolments. That also applies to offshore renewables and the potential for fishers to evolve into that field.

We need to ensure the diversification of coastal economies and establish new openings beyond traditional industries support coastal communities towards benefiting from the development of offshore renewable projects, and review and strengthen conservation measures for marine ecosystems and wildlife. We will also expand marine protected areas and establish wildlife sanctuaries. We need to continue to support the sustainable development of our aquaculture sector and modernise and streamline aquaculture licensing in the State through legislative changes. The previous Government did a good bit of work on that. I know that many extra staff have been put in the different sections to help streamline those applications. We need to set up a maritime regeneration, development and conservation fund, which will support harbours, marinas and tourism development as well as actions to address coastal erosion. My county is a little bit like the Minister of State's in that coastal erosion is quite an issue. I remember back in the days when I was a young councillor - and the Minister of State may have served with us at the time - that the former Minister of State, Hugh Byrne, had an exceptional fund which was used to great effect in rock-armouring a lot of the coastal erosion. We have moved away from that, and it is a sad day because a lot of our coastline has been destroyed as a result of erosion. We cannot hold back the tide without proper rock-armouring.

The other area we could do more on relates to the tourism end and development of marinas. Anywhere marinas have been developed over the years, it has brought tourism onto a completely different level. While marinas are seen to be very expensive to develop, we can float offshore wind, and I come at this as someone with an engineering background, so there has to be a simpler and less expensive way of floating marinas in our harbours, where there is much less tidal difficulty to deal with. There have to be better solutions than those currently available.

I wish the Minister of State well. He faces many difficulties but we have every trust in him. We are aware of his work ethic and we will support him to the best of our ability.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming in today and congratulate him on his appointment. It is long overdue. We have been 15 years without a junior Minister and the Government has shown that this is something that is a priority after so many years and that fishing and marine life are back on the agenda. It is great that the Minister of State has come in today, but the people looking in here who are at home in Killybegs and Castletownbere and all around the coast want answers. We have been too long waiting for answers. There are 16,878 people employed in the seafood sector. That makes a critical contribution to our coastal communities. If you had the number of people in the coastal communities all put together in a city working, it would be the biggest talk ever. We have 16,000 people and there is no word of it at all. We do not seem to be on the map at all.

As regards Ireland's marine territory, we have 220 million acres, ten times our land mass. We have some of the richest waters in Europe, exploited, let us be honest, by other member states and third countries that have access to our waters. We have 12% of the EU waters under the CFP and we have only 5.6% of the quota in those waters. Whichever genius made this up, he was not very good at maths anyway. The Irish catch in the EU zone is 15%. Some 85% is taken by non-Irish vessels. Raw material is becoming increasingly uncertain, particularly in reduced quotas like pelagic, mackerel and Dublin Bay prawns. Key species are suffering. I just do not know who we had out doing the Brexit deal. I do not think he was there at all, to agree to a deal like this.

I welcome the engagement and the certainty with the EU and England over the deal and I think it gives the country certainty for the years ahead. It came at a good time, and I thank the Minister of State for that. In the programme for Government, however, the Government took it upon itself to support the sector in addressing these challenges and to support the coastal communities. The CFP is a 40-year-old document and is not fit for purpose. We need to get it reformed, and that has to be one thing that we push very hard. Every time I talk to the Minister of State, he says the same thing: we have to try to get it changed in Europe. I get that, but he has to feel the passion coming from the people in the coastal communities. This is the major issue.

Take black sole. Ireland has only 4.5% of a quota, while the Belgians and their new modern fleet have 87% of a quota. The TAC was the biggest hammer blow, along with the Brexit trade agreement. Ireland's fishermen paid the price for other European countries. We were forced to transfer 15% of our quota to UK and Scottish vessels. Ireland was the main contributor. We carried the can for Europe. We transferred 40% of the total value of the whole flawed deal. We put 40% into that. I am not blaming the Minister of State, but where were our people out there? All we heard in Killybegs was that burden-sharing was coming, it would sort itself out and we would get a great deal.Since that day I have not heard the phrase "burden-sharing". The Europeans have not come back to say they will give Ireland a wee bit back. Some 15% of the quota of Dublin Bay prawns, which was a key traditional stock, was transferred to keep our fisherman in Clogherhead going. We transferred 15%. You could not write it. We lost a very valuable traditional squid fishery at Rockall. I am looking in from the outside. I was not here; I am glad to be here now. The Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, was not in his position then. Where was our Government? It did not fight for Rockall. We could sustain the whitefish fleet in Killybegs because they could fish in Rockall for a couple of months of the year. That is all gone. We have one whitefish boat in Killybegs now. It is ridiculous stuff. Through decommissioning, we lost 39 vessels. That is a whole coastal community gone. I was down in Castletownbere the same day as the Minister of State. It lost a lot more than we did in Killybegs. That community has been wiped out. The whitefish community down there has been wiped out because of this. Not alone that, it has a knock-on effect on the net jobs, the shops and the fuel suppliers.

We need to try to start working on the rebalancing of a disproportionate transfer of the TAC. We need generational renewal and to try to encourage young people into the sector. Any young person I talk to now is not interested. When I was at school in Killybegs all the boys could not wait to get away to fish and get their skipper’s ticket. It was a lifetime job. Now they are lucky to get a month of the year out of it. Something I feel so mad about is the penalty points system for fisherman. Who drew this up? It is obvious they did not consult on any of it. A fisherman has to make a guesstimate and if he is over it he is pulled in to be over his 10%. Then he cannot go on his holidays or do anything because he has legal issues. This is something that needs to be sorted as soon as possible because it is having a big effect.

We have tuna fishing. The Minister of State mentioned new species. That is a species we should be looking at. We have a very small quota of it and they are off our coast. For our inshore fishermen who catch crab and lobster, if we could even get three or four tuna a year that would be €5,000 or €6,000. It would keep our small traditional fishermen going and add value to their season. We never got a level playing field in Europe and the whole thing is wrong.

What can be done to try to keep our coastal communities living? The first thing we need to do is to concentrate on fishermen’s PAYE. That is something that can be sorted fairly quickly. I have been talking to the Minister for Finance about it and with a joint effort we could try to see if we could do something there. That would relieve some of the pressure. The Department needs to work with everybody too. We need to all pull together and be on the one wavelength.

We need to up our game in Europe, we really do. The SFPA needs to help the industry too. Monitors need to go back into the factories. This craic of doing what they are doing is not on. It is really affecting the quality of the fish. Time is running out for a lot of people in the industry. My business is on the breadline. The Minister of State was in Killybegs and talked to boatmen. He heard their frustration. There is frustration out there. He said he could see there were people trying to rejuvenate themselves and everything. I get that, but it is not going to happen quickly enough. We need help and we need it soon. Our fishing industry was sold out for other things. Let us be honest about it. We got a bad deal. We need to deliver on things now. The time is running out here.

I commend the Minister of State on going around and meeting people to listen to their issues. We never had that before and it is brilliant. He is engaging, but we need more than that. Engaging is all right, but we need delivery. I have been at this four years since I called the first public meeting. I never thought I would be here standing on front of the Minister of State in this House. About 300 people turned up at that public meeting. I will be honest that Fine Gael took the fight. We took it to our Ministers and our Taoiseach at the time and they played ball. We got it into the programme for Government and one of our big asks was that we get a Minister of State with responsibility for the marine and I am delighted we did. I am very happy with Deputy Dooley. In every engagement I have had with him so far he has been very good.

It is all right having all this stuff, but the people looking at this from home tell me it is fine for me to be up there shouting about this and that, but what can I see coming to try to help us sustain our fishing communities. If we do not stand up to be counted now, we are finished. We have given so much we have nothing left to give. We really have. It is time we got something solid from Europe. The Commissioner was over. He seems to be a very nice man and he wants to engage, but it is time for him to deliver. Let him deliver for us. We have to get other quotas in here. We have to try to catch other species. We have to try to keep our coastal communities going. I am sorry if the Minister of State thinks I am giving out to him but it is just something I feel so passionate about. We have been trod on for years and years and it is great to get the chance to come in here and put the points straight to him.

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. Ireland is surrounded by some of the richest and most bountiful fishing waters in the world. Despite this, our native fishing and seafood industry is in a steep decline. What should be a cornerstone of our coastal economy is now a sector in deep crisis that has been battered by quota cuts, fuel price hikes and increases in costs, all compounded by decades of neglect, mismanagement and weak negotiating by successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments.

Not long ago the Taoiseach stood and addressed the UN Ocean Conference in Nice declaring Ireland’s ambition to lead global maritime policy. He spoke of Ireland’s vast marine resources with pride, but here at home we failing to realise even a fraction of that potential. We are failing the industry, failing our coastal communities and failing generations of fishermen who have built their lives around the sea. Sinn Féin recently launched a comprehensive report into fishing and the seafood sector. Hundreds of fisherman, workers and businesses from across the country took part and the results were stark: 90% of respondents believe the fishing industry has declined over the past decade and not a single respondent said it had significantly improved. That tells its own story. Respondents spoke with deep pride in their intergenerational connection to the sea, but also of the hardship, economic strain and mental health toll caused by being locked out of their own waters and ignored by their own government. One of the fishermen who participated said he had fished all this life, that his father had fished before him but that he did not want this son to take it up. He said it was too hard and too unfair. That is not just a personal story but a warning.

There has been some improvement. We welcome the appointment of a dedicated Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries, which is long overdue. We also welcome the re-establishment of the dedicated Oireachtas Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, which Sinn Féin chairs. That committee must mark the beginning of a serious reset in the industry here and in Europe. However, we are not naïve. Talk is cheap and what we need is real action.

The view from the North is that fishing communities face unique challenges. Lough Neagh, Ireland's largest inland water, remains under ecological siege. Eel fishing has been suspended, the seasons are shortened and livelihoods are under threat. The Executive's Lough Neagh action plan must be resourced and implemented without delay. Meanwhile, Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard has rightly demanded assurances from the British Government that County Down fishermen will be included in the £360 million fishing and coastal growth fund. Brexit devastated fishing in the North and this fund must redress the damage. We have an offshore crisis. Irish fishermen are being shut out of their own waters. Brexit and a broken Common Fisheries Policy, CFP, have cost our industry €140 million in just four years, with 39 fishing vessels having been decommissioned at a cost of €56.5 million. What has this Government done so far? Precious little.

The Minister of State continued to evaluate the CFP but, in plain and simple English, it is time to do something; evaluation time is over. The CFP is broken. It must be scrapped and replaced. Sinn Féin will lead the call for root-and-branch reform at EU level. Ireland has 12% of EU fishing waters but we get just 5.6% of the quotas. That is not just unfair; it is indefensible. We support the call to block Norwegian access to Irish waters until our own fishermen are treated fairly. We also demand a level playing field in monitoring and enforcement. Right now, Irish boats face a two-tier system of regulation and they are being punished for it.

On the inshore and aquaculture sector, as much as 95% of our total inshore fleet is being left to sink. These boats fish for crab, lobster and other non-quota species. Representatives of this sector have appeared before the agriculture and marine committee pleading for basic crisis funding but they have been ignored. Sinn Féin has repeatedly called for a fuel support scheme, just like other EU states have done, but there has been no response.

Our aquaculture sector is mired in outdated legislation, red tape and a lack of vision. The system for aquaculture licences remains clunky, bureaucratic and unfriendly to growth. Sinn Féin has called for the full implementation of the 2017 independent aquaculture licensing review and we will keep pushing until this is done.

Earlier the Minister of State spoke about the EU-UK deal. It was an absolute hammer blow to Ireland because 40% of our quotas were transferred from the EU to the UK, without our say so or consultation. The deal that has now been extended is not acceptable. Ireland must demand a fairer deal before this new agreement is ratified, and if the EU will not do it, then this Irish Government must do it.

Sinn Féin has a plan to rebuild, reform and renew. We call for the establishment of a fish Ireland office in Brussels to conduct a full review of the Department of the marine and all State bodies under its remit, assessing their performance, transparency and delivery. We call for the launch of an independent root-and-branch review of the fishing and seafood industry to shape a long-term rebuilding strategy. We demand that the senior departmental officials appear before Oireachtas committees and are fully accountable. We would like an audit done of all harbours and investment in the infrastructure sought by communities. We call for the creation of an independent oversight body for the Sea-Fisheries Protection Agency, SFPA. Sinn Féin will also push for a full fuel support scheme, which is needed, fair quotas for distribution, investment in apprenticeships, training and sustainability, and a complete ban on the supertrawlers and factory vessels that do untold damages to our seas and waters.

We owe it to our fishing families, coastal communities and the generations who have lived by the sea to fight for fairness, sustainability and for their future and ours. Sinn Féin is committed to rebuilding a fishing and seafood industry that works for the people, not for foreign fleets nor bureaucrats in Brussels and political insiders who have failed them for decades.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

First, I welcome my friend from Castlebar and colleague in Fine Gael, Councillor Donna Sheridan, who is in the Gallery.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank him for his engagement and work done to date. It is great to see a Ministry for fisheries. As previous speakers have outlined, including an impassioned contribution by Senator Manus Boyle, there is an awful lot that needs to be done to fight the corner for Irish fisheries at a European level.

The hook and line mackerel policy is an issue of concern, particularly in my home county of Mayo. Currently, less than 1% of the overall Irish mackerel quota allocation is allocated to hook and line mackerel fishing. That 1% is shared among approximately 1,500 vessels. The remaining 99% is shared between 50 vessels. That shows the huge disparity and inequity which explains the frustration being felt by 1,500 operators of hook and line mackerel boats. We need to recalibrate the allocation. I understand it is in the gift of the Minister of State to reorientate that so there is more justice and fairness shown to the 1,500 vessel owners across Ireland who feel unfairly treated with the current distribution of the quota.

Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy states that quotas should be shared out on a viable and sustainable basis. As we know, hook and line mackerel fishing is a very sustainable practice. I know that the people who have raised this issue with me feel a huge frustration and sense of injustice in terms of the allocation of quotas. I am also aware of their passion for continuing the practice for the benefit of the next generation. There is a huge depth of history and heritage in each of the fishing communities that span the Mayo coastline and the Irish coastline. All of that needs to be protected and supported into the future. I would really appreciate the Minister of State's support in considering it. It could have a huge impact on the hook and line sector. The fishermen made the point that if they cannot catch the quota they are given, it can be reallocated to the bigger operators of the 50 vessels. There are, however, 1,500 small operators who ask for a little bit more and the 50 larger operators can have any excess quota. That is a fair ask. I know there has been lots of advocacy on this issue. The pen in the Minister of State's hand could make all the difference and have a huge positive impact on the hook and line mackerel sector. I would appreciate if he gave this matter his consideration.

The maintenance of harbours and piers in the country, including in Mayo, is an issue that I raised recently in the Seanad. Basic maintenance is an issue that should not percolate all the way to Oireachtas levels but, unfortunately, it has. There should be a service level agreement in place that ensures councils are accountable, maintain harbours and piers, and that there is a rolling fund to support the repair of harbours and piers following instances of deterioration and storm damage. It should not take such efforts of advocacy to get small jobs done. Plus, maintaining piers and slipways is really important from a safety point of view.

I am here to support to work with and support the Minister of State in his work. I hope he will be able to help on this specific issue. If he can, I would really appreciate it on behalf of the fisheries. We need to all work together across the House to fight with the Minister of State in fighting the Irish corner at a European level because there are huge challenges and we should do that constructively. I hope the Minister of State can support my ask today.

Noel O'Donovan (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Like all other speakers, I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. I welcome the fact that we have a Minster for fisheries now working on behalf of the Government. It is a really positive step forward in terms of the fishing industry.

I thank the Minister of State for his engagement so far across the country and for recently visiting Castletownbere and attending the AGM again. That is what we need to do. We need to listen to the communities, the stakeholders and the people who go on the boats because they know the industry the best. I thank the Minister of State for that work.

I put on record my appreciation for my colleague, Senator Manus Boyle, and his work on the fishing industry in the past number of years. He mentioned four years ago and the 300 people who attended the public meeting. I thank the Senator for his work. The fishing communities I represent in west Cork are deeply thankful to him. Any of us who listened to his contribution will hear the care and genuine desire he has to see improvements in the industry.I know the community watching will be thankful for that. The Minister of State was involved in ensuring that the programme for Government had a clear ask for a Minister of State for fisheries. I welcome also the appointment of Kieran Mulvey, who will chair the task force in terms of a strategy for the next five years. That is welcome movement on that. Those are the positives. We have been listening and we have been out there, but now we need to see the action. I respect that the Minister of State said we cannot roll back years. We cannot go back to the 1980s and look for a new deal. That time has passed. We need to start asking and demanding.

I travelled to the Beara Peninsula a number of months ago and listened dead straight to the people there. They have concerns about the years ahead. They want to see their sons and daughters get involved in the industry. At the moment, that certainty is not there. Senator Boyle outlined the statistics regarding our waters and the riches we have, yet the quota we have is nothing short of robbery. We all know that in this Chamber. We have to demand additional quota. There are changes we can make within the State, the Government and the budgetary process. I am delighted the Minister of State mentioned some of those factors, such as PAYE and tax credits. We need to make positive changes ourselves and we can do that. I would welcome the Minister of State’s engagement with the Minister for Finance on that matter. I have spoken about this, like Senator Manus Boyle has. Let us put on the green jersey and make change. Others outside of this country will decide on the quota. However, as has been said, if we all come together – political parties, Department officials, the finishing industry – we will achieve gains. There is light on the horizon and the fishing communities see that. We now need to see delivery.

I echo the contribution of Senator Duffy regarding our local piers and harbours. I welcome the fact that in Cork County Council, we have set up a new coastal management section, which is structuring and ensuring delivery and upgrade of our maintenance. Work could be done on streamlining that nationally.

I raised the issue of a mussel farm in west Cork on the Order of Business a number of weeks ago. I am sure the Minister of State is well aware of the recent granting of a licence for a commercial mussel farm in Kinsale. As I said a number of weeks ago, I am not a politician of protest. I do not get involved in populist politics. However, this granting of a licence for the development of a mussel farm in Kinsale Harbour is completely against what should be done. The community is united in its opposition to it. I understand an independent appeals process will take place and that submissions from a wide number of the community will be included. There is also a group coming to Leinster House tomorrow to hand in a petition, which I believe the Minister of State is aware of. More than 7,000 people have signed this petition. I would welcome a comment on it. I would like the Minister of State to meet the delegation from west Cork tomorrow. There is widespread community opposition to the farmt. It needs to be rejected. We have mussel farms throughout west Cork in indigenous areas on the Beara Peninsula, where local people have farmed mussel farms for a long number of years. This is different. This is a tourist centre and a commercial harbour where we have leisure activities. It is not wanted there. I would welcome the Minister of State’s words on that.

Finally, I again thank the Minister of State for what he is doing. It is recognised in the fishing community. However, now is the time for delivery. Let us see some positivity because it is needed.

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome Deputy Dooley’s new Ministry and wish him the best of luck in his work. There is much to be done.

The marine sector in this country has faced unbelievable challenges in recent years. Many of these hardships have been the direct result of Government policy and legislation and the implementation and interpretation of those policies and that legislation. Ongoing discrimination under the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy means that Irish fishermen are watching in growing frustration and anger as their rights to fish in our waters are eroded. While other member states reap the rewards in Irish waters, our own fleet continues to be sidelined.

Under current arrangements, Ireland’s coastal share of fish is projected to shrink by approximately 15% over the next six years, well above the average European reduction of under 10%. This is deeply unjust. Irish fishing interests are being repeatedly sidelined by Europe. The chief executive of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation, Mr. O’Donnell, put it perfectly when he said, “We’re watching our industry being dismantled in slow motion, while others thrive in our rich waters.” Irish fishermen are faced with excessive regulation and criminal sanctions for minor infringements. This is deterring Irish and foreign vessels from off-loading in Irish ports. We have huge processing facilities that will not benefit from these catches because of how excessive our enforcement and restrictions are. Instead, boats are off-loading in countries like Belgium and Norway, where the regulatory environment is more welcoming.

We need to immediately amend the penalty point system that unfairly punishes Irish fishermen. How is it that the Belgian fleet holds 59% of the total EU fish quota for the Celtic Sea, while we have just 20%? We need the Minister of State to be a strong voice in Europe to fight for fair fishing quotas as well as fair and proportional oversight of our control systems. We should not hand over the wealth of our seas to EU countries to make their fortune while Irish fisheries languish.

Speaking off the cuff, I was at the fisheries committee meeting yesterday. I am from an inland county. It was very sad to hear the testimonies of the representatives for the producers and catchers. They spoke about trawlers being tied up for months and months and whole communities having been devastated. Fish processing factories with huge investments that have done their best to be as accommodating of fishing controls as possible are lying idle. Belgian trawlers will not unload in Irish harbours. If there has been a slight bit of overfishing and they unload in Belgium, they will get a fine of maybe €300, whereas if they unload in Ireland, they will get a criminal record. That has to be addressed. Who is the SFPA answerable to? Who does it answer to? The chain of command there and the line of answering have to be looked into. There was an incident about a year ago in the south east where 25 armed gardaí arrived into a factory. Our fishermen are being overly penalised and this needs to be addressed.

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister of State well in his role. I thank him for coming to the Seanad to provide his statement and listen to contributions from Members.

I am certainly not an expert in this area. I will defer to colleagues like Senator Manus Boyle with his interest and work in this area over a long number of years. What I have heard from fishing communities over many years, and the Minister of State will have heard this himself, is that we were sold out in 1973, that the small fishermen have been sidelined, that the share is in the control of a small few, that EU super-trawlers are doing huge damage to our waters and that there is too much regulation and prosecution, especially for small fishers. This is what I have heard up and down coastal communities over the years. It will be difficult to change or alter that path because we cannot change history. All we can do is try to chart a new path forward that will assist coastal communities as well as the smaller guy. I think most of us want to try to fight for the smaller guy, their concerns and the over-regulation that they feel, in many cases justly, that they are subject to. I acknowledge the Minister of State's visits to Ros an Mhíl. I attended with him recently for a tour of the harbour and a tour of the new deepwater pier. I pay tribute to his predecessor Deputy Charlie McConalogue for investing in that project. Planning permission was extended a couple of times, which allowed the project to be commenced. Issues have arisen since, which are now the subject of a requirement to initiate a new planning application for what has been completed and planned. It relates to the timelines involved. I hope the Department will engage to ensure it is dealt with in good time. It is important that the existing investment by the State b protected and the project be completed.

I also want to raise Cleggan pier. Some work was done in the late 2000s on options and plans for future development. Cleggan is the gateway to Inishbofin and a fishing harbour in its own right. It also has huge potential as a sheltered harbour between Killybegs and Ros an Mhíl on the west coast. There are asks there that will require investment. Some of them are small and could be done through funding applications by Galway County Council to the Department. Others are larger in scale and would require more substantial funding for Cleggan. The potential is there. There has been very little investment in the pier over the past 80 or 90 years. It is a strategic asset and it is important from a transport perspective as it serves Inishbofin. I ask the Minister of State to keep it on his radar. I hope that at a future date he can visit and have a look at what is there and be open to engaging with Galway County Council to progress the plans. I do not suggest things can be done quickly; I understand how these things work. However, I hope the Department will engage with the council to discuss improving facilities, such as lengthening the pier, lifting the slipway and other works in the vicinity of Cleggan. If these works took place, it would be a huge benefit to the community from a number of perspectives, including fishing, tourism and access to Inishbofin. I thank the Minister of State for coming in.

Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State is most welcome to the Chamber. As this is our first official engagement with him, I wish him the best of luck in his new role. I am from Wexford, a coastal county with a rich tradition of fisheries. I invite him to visit County Wexford to meet with some of our fishing communities. As a member of Fine Gael in the Seanad, I wish to recognise the great work that is being done in this area by Senator Manus Boyle. I look forward to engaging with him over the coming term. While my own tradition is more in the farming sector, I am well aware of the frustrations that have been highlighted in this debate because they have been raised directly with me during my meetings with many fishermen over the past six years. Unfortunately the European Union has not been fully fair to Irish fishermen and fishing communities as regards to access to quota, the volume of fish we can access and what happens with it. We have a unique product in Ireland with our ability to instantly supply fresh fish to restaurants and directly to the market. We are blessed to be able to do that. However, when it comes to our waters, there is a feeling, which I am sure the Minister of State has been made aware of, that we simply are not getting our fair share of access to the fish located off our coasts. I recognise the comments made on Rockall. I firmly support the Government's position, which does not recognise the British territorial claim on that island. I also commend the Minister of State on including it in his contribution. When there is an attempted annexation, such as the one that occurred in 1955, and the insistence by the Government that it does not recognise the UK's territorial claims on this rock off the coast of Scotland, it is important that it continues to be discussed in the Chamber. I wish to highlight Slade pier, a key pier in Wexford, which was first raised with me last October. It is a small pier. While the local fisher community is not as large as it once it, its members have highlighted to me the direct need for grant intervention to carry out renovation upgrade works that would allow for greater fishing from that harbour. Perhaps it is something that the Minister of State will engage with me and officials from Wexford County Council over the coming months.

Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I was at a meeting of the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight and I left because I did not want to miss the opportunity to attend the Minister of State's first visit back to the Seanad. As a former Member, colleague and good friend in the previous Seanad, I want to welcome him and wish him the best of luck in his new role. I know the portfolio is in capable hands but it is a major role. It is a big job of work he has to do. I am fearful of repetition as I did not hear most of the debate. I compliment the Government's forward thinking in appointing Deputy Dooley as a stand-alone junior Minister for fisheries. Although I am from Kilbeggan, four miles from the dead centre of Ireland, by default I have been Fianna Fail's Seanad spokesperson on fisheries because it was lumped in with agriculture and food for two terms. I am delighted our Taoiseach and leader, Deputy Micheál Martin, appointed Senator Blaney, a Donegal man who has forgotten more about fisheries that I have ever known, as a separate spokesperson on fisheries, while I concentrate on agriculture and food. Fisheries has been the poor relation for too long. I am delighted it is getting the recognition, the input and the personnel working on it that it deserves. It is a big body of work.

Great progress was made in the EU-UK deal a couple of weeks ago. This has to be maintained. The Minister of State has a big body of work in Europe as we attempt to maintain our quotas. He also has to promote our processing. It is not just about the quotas we can catch; it is also about where they go and how they are processed. It is vital we maximise the most employment out of the sector. It is hard to believe that as an island nation we are not fish eaters. While we have a great record in promoting our produce around the world, thanks to Bord Bia, etc., I do not know if we are not up-to-speed when it comes to promoting it among ourselves. I would love to see more promotion of Irish fish products. We have to be among the worst island nations when it comes to eating fish. It is an area where more money could be invested in promoting our product in the home market.

The other big job the Minister of State will have over the lifetime of this Government, will be his work with the members of the seafood and offshore renewable energy working group. It is not going to be simple. We all know we need renewable energy. Those of us in the midlands are only to keen to push the wind turbines out to sea. While we want to save our barley fields and grass paddocks from wind turbines, I see the error of us promoting offshore development because the waters around Ireland are the barley fields and pastures of the fishermen. The Minister of State is left with the onerous task of trying to promote renewable energy, which needs to be done. However, squaring this circle should not be done at the expense of our fishing community. They are the points I wanted to make. I did not want to miss the Minister of State's first visit and my remarks are genuine.

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As no other Senators wish to speak, I invite the Minister of State to respond. He has eight minutes.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach and all the Senators who contributed for their valuable input. As so much has been said, I will not be able to respond to each Senator individually but I will try insofar as I can, with the few minutes I have left, to cover some of the issues.

Senator Blaney knows far more about fishing than I do but, by the same token, there is a lot in common between us, as others have mentioned as well. I come from a small farm and I understand the impact, particularly on the inshore sector, of the changes that have taken place. That has been my guiding light through this. He mentioned numerous issues that will be worked through by the Kieran Mulvey approach I am taking, such as taxation measures and looking at how we manage, on the other side, the huge opportunity for offshore renewables. The State is very clear and we are investing heavily in grid infrastructure to support the bringing of offshore renewables ashore. Senator Paul Daly reflected on the challenges that are there. While it is an important part of the decarbonisation of our economy to generate electricity from a much cleaner resource and to do so with the demand increasing as we get rid of fossil fuels, that energy must be generated somewhere. The Senator is right in that there is, in the first instance, the commercial activity of fishing but we also have commitments on the marine protection side. We have made a commitment to have identified 30% of our ocean space as marine protected areas to protect marine biodiversity by 2030. It is a large space considering that our sea space is seven times greater than our land mass. This is hugely important for protecting our fish stocks, seagrasses and various elements in that biodiversity sphere, which will be beneficial and helpful to fishing in the long run from a sustainability perspective. It does, however, have impacts upfront and I am conscious of that. This will be a role on which I will have to work with colleagues in each of the Departments to try to ameliorate, insofar as I can, the greatest impact. We will have to work with stakeholders on that.

I thank all the Senators for their passionate approach to this. Senator Boyle, whom I have had the opportunity with all here to meet, particularly in the various different areas, set out very clearly the impact this has had on the sector. I have said from the start that I will not be in a position to change decisions taken in 1973 or 1982 or 1981. It is a burden on all of us to fathom how we ended up in a situation where we have so little quota in our own waters, but we must also understand they are not technically our waters. They are European waters. We have the six- or 12-mile limit, etc., and the Irish box but, truthfully, the vast majority of our seas are European waters and that is where the fish is.

I do not want to go back to 1973 or even the years since but we had a very underdeveloped fishing sector when we entered the European Union. Other countries were far more advanced and had track records in that area. We did not have quotas at that stage and it was as a result of the decision taken then that these countries have quota. To win back quota, some other country have to give it up and we do not have a veto. There are others who are passionate and I understand how opposition works, whereby Europe has to give way with a qualified majority on all of this. No matter how hard I bang the table, therefore, how loudly I scream or how great a nuisance I make of myself, people will say "Yes" but when we come to a decision or vote, we might not have the backing of others. Without that, it is not possible to get a better allocation of existing quotas. Where I do see potential opportunities, and we are in the early stages of exploring this with the Commission, is in recognising the impact of climate change and the way in which stocks are migrating into our waters because of the warming of waters further south. We are losing our potential quota stock on the upper end with fish migrating further north as well. That may have an impact at a later stage.

Regarding the current process with the CFP, which several people talked about it, an evaluation is under way. I am hopeful this will lead to a review, which will give some opportunities to argue points some Senators have made. I am also conscious, however, that it is not a poisoned chalice but a potential opportunity. Even so, it is not an open-door policy or an opening of the doors that will necessarily allow quota to flow in Ireland's direction because we feel we have been hard done by in Brexit, although I believe we have been by virtue of where our fleet was in the early stages. To gain quotas, someone has to give way and lose and that is a challenge where diplomacy will come into play. We are working very hard at departmental level to try to build alliances among like-minded states. I am engaging in bilaterals to build friends, not to negotiate. The negotiation is done by the European Union.

I heard from Senator Collins from Sinn Féin that we should demand Ireland take certain action, but that is not how the European Union works. The only way we could do that is by leaving the Union and then acting in a unilateral way, but I do not think anyone here is suggesting that is the solution to our difficulty either. It is about diplomacy, and that also applies to Rockall. Several people spoke about the squid fishery we lost in Rockall. We have disputed vociferously the UK's approach and belief regarding Rockall as being in its territorial waters. We have never accepted that. We had some chance of retaining that fishery while it remained in EU waters but Brexit changed that landscape. We will continue to do that. The Tánaiste is very clear on that as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and continues to engage on this, as does the Taoiseach. I will be in the UK on 9 July to meet various stakeholders at political level. I will raise that in this context as would be appropriate but, again, that is a diplomatic issue that will rattle on for some time. We are committed to not recognising the British position and we recognise that if we could get access to those waters, it would be very helpful.

Some Senators spoke about the SFPA. We must be conscious of the role the SFPA plays but there are some questions of oversight. There is a board and people within the SFPA have responsibility, having been appointed by the State. I do not have any input into the functioning of the SFPA. It acts as an independent body and a volume of legislation provides for the work it does. It is also part of our European membership and certain control regulations oversee all of that. Ideas are coming forward from the industry and so on as to how we can have more effective oversight through the use of technology and we will certainly look at that. There were proposals for the specific designation of the pier in Killybegs in a manner that would allow for it to be monitored electronically, which may prove to be of some benefit in addressing that.

I am sure there were other points I have not been able to get to because of-----

Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The penalty points. We are an outlier in Europe.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I accept that and it is something I want to look at. I cannot give any commitments. I am conscious there is a view within the industry that we are out of kilter regarding the administrative approach rather than the criminal sanction for certain elements of that. I have made a commitment to look at this but I do not want to give any commitments relating to how I might ultimately proceed on it. I will conclude on this. The work that is under way-----

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Could we extend the time to discuss the mussel farms and the quotas for hook and line?

Seán Kyne (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

That is up to the Minister of State.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I can certainly do another ten minutes if that is enough.

Paraic Brady (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Even just five minutes would be enough.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am happy to go for another five minutes on those issues.

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

That is an issue I recognise there is a lot of interest in and we can work through that with a review. Some of this will be addressed through the Kieran Mulvey approach I am taking, which is to go out to all stakeholders, engage with them and listen to their views and concerns, some of which we may be able to advance and progress as part of our future framework coming from that strategy that has been promised in the programme for Government. There are others who I know will reflect on historical aspects. Kieran Mulvey is well able to listen – that is one of his strong points – but listening will not necessarily provide a solution to some of the issues. On the mussel farm that was recently granted approval by the Department, there is a process whereby a developer is entitled to apply. It is not dissimilar from the planning system we are all familiar with in our electoral areas. The process has to follow a particular path, taking into consideration all the conditions set out. A determination was reached based on the process and that determination was to grant approval. As with any planning permission application, people had an opportunity to make observations. In this instance, I understand observations were made and considered. A decision was taken to grant approval based on the application of the procedures and processes in place, but, as with the planning system we are familiar with, which includes An Bord Pleanála, one can appeal. In this case, an appeal is made to ALAB. ALAB is independent of the Department, as it should be, just as An Bord Pleanála is independent of a local authority that grants or refuses planning permission. I know that ALAB will follow the process and procedure. Of course, people are entitled to vent their frustration. I have sympathy for people with issues but I must be cognisant of the process and the principles of the rule of law, which will have to be allowed to take their course. Of course, I will happily accept the signatures collected and will be happy at political level to engage with people, but I must be very clear that respect for the rule of law requires me not to involve myself in any way with the decision ALAB will ultimately take. I have to respect that separation to protect all of us and the procedures in place.

Was there another issue?

Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The mackerel.

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

That is an important feature and one I am examining but there is a difficulty. I thank the Senator for raising the matter. An allocation can be made as set out in Article 17, to which the Senator referred, but a decision taken in 2017 by the then Minister to change the policy on allocation following a review was challenged in the courts. I understand it is still in the courts under judicial review. The case was taken against the then Minister and the baton has been passed on to me. The matter is tied up in the courts. I would have to check the specific elements of the allocation. Until the process reaches a conclusion or the judicial review is withdrawn, I will not be in a position to set out a further policy statement on the reallocation of what are principally the same stocks. While there is provision for what has been suggested and it makes sense, and while I really would like to do it, I am prevented from doing so. There have been some public discussions on the potential for some species quota allocations in a deal with Iceland. If this were to progress at European level, it could potentially provide an amount of quota within the zone. Some reallocation in that sense would be helpful because I know the benefits that would accrue; however, if the Department is caught legally, it prevents me from generating, based on what I believe might be the right thing to do, a further attempt to reallocate. It is a matter I am conscious of. I know what I would like to do but there is an impediment at the minute. Let us see whether we can get around that in due course. If the court situation comes to a conclusion, it might be helpful.

I believe I have covered most of the points in general, but maybe not all of them, but I am sure the Senators will have an opportunity to revert to me. I thank them again for their engagement.

Nicole Ryan (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for being here and all the Senators for their contributions.